U.S. patent application number 14/303495 was filed with the patent office on 2014-12-18 for electronic device with side acoustic emission type speaker device.
The applicant listed for this patent is Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Jong-Heon Ha, Ho-Chul Hwang, In-Ho Jeong, Bong-Hee Kang, Ji-Hoon Kim, Ki-Won Kim, Joong-Hak Kwon, Byoung-Hee Lee, Ho-Yun Lee.
Application Number | 20140369533 14/303495 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 52019244 |
Filed Date | 2014-12-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140369533 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kim; Ji-Hoon ; et
al. |
December 18, 2014 |
ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH SIDE ACOUSTIC EMISSION TYPE SPEAKER
DEVICE
Abstract
Disclosed is an electronic device including: a housing having a
sound emission hole formed in at least one side thereof; a speaker
module which is at least partially accommodated in the housing; and
a sound reflection surface formed inside the housing and obliquely
facing the speaker module. A sound emitted from the speaker module
can be reflected by the sound reflection surface to the sound
emission hole. The side acoustic emission type speaker device and
the electronic device including the same can be variously
implemented.
Inventors: |
Kim; Ji-Hoon;
(Gyeongsangnam-do, KR) ; Jeong; In-Ho;
(Gyeongsangnam-do, KR) ; Ha; Jong-Heon;
(Gyeongsangnam-do, KR) ; Lee; Ho-Yun; (Busan,
KR) ; Kang; Bong-Hee; (Gyeongsangnam-do, KR) ;
Kwon; Joong-Hak; (Busan, KR) ; Kim; Ki-Won;
(Gyeonggi-do, KR) ; Lee; Byoung-Hee; (Seoul,
KR) ; Hwang; Ho-Chul; (Seoul, KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. |
Gyeonggi-do |
|
KR |
|
|
Family ID: |
52019244 |
Appl. No.: |
14/303495 |
Filed: |
June 12, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
381/160 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04R 2499/15 20130101;
H04R 2499/11 20130101; H04R 1/345 20130101; H04R 1/2842
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
381/160 |
International
Class: |
H04R 1/34 20060101
H04R001/34; H04R 1/02 20060101 H04R001/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 12, 2013 |
KR |
10-2013-0066932 |
May 26, 2014 |
KR |
10-2014-0063029 |
Claims
1. An electronic device comprising: a housing having a sound
emission hole formed in at least one side thereof; a speaker module
that is at least partially disposed in the housing; and a sound
reflection surface formed inside the housing and obliquely facing
the speaker module, the sound reflection surface configured to
reflect a sound emitted from the speaker module to the sound
emission hole.
2. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising: a first
enclosure disposed to face a first surface of the speaker module; a
resonance space enclosed by an inner surface of the first enclosure
and the speaker module; and a sound passage formed in the first
enclosure and connected from the resonance space to the sound
emission hole.
3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the sound reflection
surface is formed on the inner surface of the first enclosure.
4. The electronic device of claim 2, further comprising: a mesh
attached to an end of the sound passage on an outer surface of the
first enclosure.
5. The electronic device of claim 2, further comprising: an opening
formed through the housing; and a second enclosure mounted to face
a second surface of the speaker module, wherein the first enclosure
is mounted on the inner surface of the housing to face the opening
and the speaker module is disposed in the opening between the first
and second enclosures.
6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the second enclosure
includes a metal plate that faces the speaker module.
7. The electronic device of claim 2, further comprising: a circuit
board mounted to face the second surface of the speaker module
inside the housing; and a sealing member interposed between the
first enclosure and the circuit board, wherein the sealing member
is disposed around the speaker module.
8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the first enclosure is
formed to be integrated with the housing.
9. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising: an
enclosure case that defines a resonance space that surrounds a
circumference of the speaker module, which is seated on an inner
surface of the enclosure case, wherein the sound reflection surface
is formed on the inner surface of the enclosure case.
10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the enclosure case
includes a lower enclosure case part on which the speaker module is
seated, and an upper enclosure case part coupled to face the lower
enclosure case part, and the sound reflection surface is formed on
an inner surface of the upper enclosure case part.
11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the sound reflection
surface is formed around the resonance space, except in a direction
where the sound emission hole is formed inside the resonance
space.
12. A method comprising: emitting a sound from a speaker module
that is at least partially disposed in a housing, the housing
having a sound emission hole formed in at least one side thereof;
reflecting the sound to the sound emission hole by a sound
reflection surface formed inside the housing and obliquely facing
the speaker module.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein: a first enclosure is disposed
to face a first surface of the speaker module; a resonance space is
enclosed by an inner surface of the first enclosure and the speaker
module; and a sound passage is formed in the first enclosure and
connected from the resonance space to the sound emission hole.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the sound reflection surface is
formed on the inner surface of the first enclosure,
15. The method of claim 13, wherein a mesh is attached to an end of
the sound passage on an outer surface of the first enclosure.
16. The method of claim 13, wherein an opening formed through the
housing, and a second enclosure mounted to face a second surface of
the speaker module, and wherein the first enclosure is mounted on
the inner surface of the housing to face the opening and the
speaker module is disposed in the opening between the first and
second enclosures.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second enclosure includes a
metal plate that faces the speaker module.
18. The method of claim 13, wherein a circuit board mounted to face
the second surface of the speaker module inside the housing and a
sealing member is interposed between the first enclosure and the
circuit board, and wherein the sealing member is disposed around
the speaker module.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first enclosure is formed
to be integrated with the housing.
20. The method of claim 12, wherein an enclosure case defines a
resonance space that surrounds a circumference of the speaker
module, which is seated on an inner surface of the enclosure case,
and wherein the sound reflection surface is formed on the inner
surface of the enclosure case.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the enclosure case includes a
lower enclosure case part on which the speaker module is seated,
and an upper enclosure case part coupled to face the lower
enclosure case part, and the sound reflection surface is formed on
an inner surface of the upper enclosure case part.
22. The method of claim 12, wherein the sound reflection surface is
formed around the resonance space, except in a direction where the
sound emission hole is formed inside the resonance space.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) AND CLAIM OF PRIORITY
[0001] The present application is related to and claims the
priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119(a) to Korean Application Serial
No. 10-2013-0066932, which was filed in the Korean Intellectual
Property Office on Jun. 12, 2013, and Korean Application Serial No.
10-2014-0063029, which was filed in the Korean Intellectual
Property Office on May 26, 2014, the entire content of which is
hereby incorporated by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] Various embodiments of the present disclosure discussed
herein relate to an electronic device provided with a sound
device.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Typically, electronic devices refers to devices that perform
a specific function according to a program installed therein such
as an electronic scheduler, a portable multimedia reproducer, a
mobile communication terminal, a tablet PC, a video/audio device, a
desktop computer, a laptop computer, and a vehicle navigation
system, including a home appliance. For example, such electronic
devices may output information stored therein as a sound or an
image. As integration densities of electronic devices have
increased and ultra-high speed and large capacity wireless
communication has been popularized, various functions have recently
been incorporated in a single mobile communication terminal. For
example, not only a communication function, but also an
entertainment function such as game, a multimedia function such as
music/video reproduction, a communication and security function for
mobile banking or the like, a schedule management or e-wallet
function, and the like, are integrated in a single electronic
device.
[0004] Such electronic devices may include a display device for
outputting a picture, a speaker device for outputting sounds, and
the like. In mounting a speaker device, a slim electronic device
has a narrow speaker device space. Thus, when a micro-speaker is
mounted, a sound emission hole may be formed on a side opposite to
the display device. For example, assuming that the display device
is positioned on a front side, the sound emission hole may be
formed in the rear side. When the sound emission hole is formed in
the rear side, a low frequency voice range is hardly affected in
sound characteristic due to relatively good diffraction. However, a
high frequency voice range may be degraded in sound characteristic
on the front side of the electronic device where a user is
positioned due to a high straight advancing property. A side
acoustic emission type speaker device may be provided in order to
alleviate such degradation of sound characteristic.
SUMMARY
[0005] Even if a side emission type speaker device is mounted in
order to alleviate damping of sounds in a high frequency voice
range in a slim electronic device, a sound in the high frequency
voice range band may be more damped than a sound in the low
frequency voice range band since the vibration direction of a
vibration unit of the micro-speaker and a sound passage extending
direction are orthogonal to each other.
[0006] To address the above-discussed deficiencies, it is a primary
object of certain embodiments of the present disclosure to provide
an electronic device which is provided with a side acoustic
emission type speaker device capable of improving a sound
characteristic of a high frequency voice range.
[0007] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure,
a electronic device includes: a housing having a sound emission
hole formed in at least one side thereof; a speaker module which is
at least partially accommodated in the housing; and a sound
reflection surface formed inside the housing and obliquely facing
the speaker module. A sound emitted from the speaker module is
reflected by the sound reflection surface to the sound emission
hole.
[0008] The electronic device can further include an enclosure case
that defines a resonance space while enclosing the speaker
module.
[0009] The housing of the electronic device can provide a part of
the enclosure case of the side acoustic emission type speaker
device.
[0010] The sound reflection surface of the electronic device can
form a sound reflection surface of the side acoustic emission type
speaker device.
[0011] An electronic device according to various embodiments of the
present disclosure is provided with a side acoustic emission type
speaker device and a sound reflection surface is formed on an inner
surface of an enclosure case (or an inner surface of a housing of
the electronic device that forms a resonance space so that a sound
can be reflected to a sound emission hole. For example, a sound of
a high frequency voice range having a high straight advancing
property can be smoothly output to a sound emission hole so that
the quality of sound in the high frequency voice range can be
improved. In addition, according to various embodiments of the
present disclosure, an enclosure case of a speaker device can be
implemented by constituent elements, such as the housing of the
electronic device, a structure inside the housing, or a circuit
board, to contribute to miniaturization of the electronic
device.
[0012] Before undertaking the DETAILED DESCRIPTION below, it may be
advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases
used throughout this patent document: the terms "include" and
"comprise," as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without
limitation; the term "or," is inclusive, meaning and/or; the
phrases "associated with" and "associated therewith," as well as
derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within,
interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or
with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with,
interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have,
have a property of, or the like; and the term "controller" means
any device, system or part thereof that controls at least one
operation, such a device may be implemented in hardware, firmware
or software, or some combination of at least two of the same. It
should be noted that the functionality associated with any
particular controller may be centralized or distributed, whether
locally or remotely. Definitions for certain words and phrases are
provided throughout this patent document, those of ordinary skill
in the art should understand that in many, if not most instances,
such definitions apply to prior, as well as future uses of such
defined words and phrases.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure
and its advantages, reference is now made to the following
description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in
which like reference numerals represent like parts:
[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an
electronic device according to embodiments of the present
disclosure;
[0015] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a state
where a side acoustic emission type speaker device is installed in
an electronic device according to embodiments of the present
disclosure;
[0016] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in
which a side acoustic emission type speaker device is installed in
an electronic device according to embodiments of the present
disclosure;
[0017] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating
another example in which a side acoustic emission type speaker
device is installed in an electronic device according to
embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0018] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating
another example in which a side acoustic emission type speaker
device is installed in an electronic device according to
embodiments of the present disclosure; and
[0019] FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating sound characteristics
measured for a side acoustic emission type speaker according to
embodiments of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] FIGS. 1 through 6, discussed below, and the various
embodiments used to describe the principles of the present
disclosure in this patent document are by way of illustration only
and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the
disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the
principles of the present disclosure may be implemented in any
suitably arranged wireless communications device. Various changes
can be made to the present disclosure and various embodiments may
be conceived. Some embodiments will be described in detail with
reference to the drawings. However, it should be understood that
the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments,
but the present disclosure includes all modifications, equivalents,
and alternatives within the spirit and the scope of the present
disclosure.
[0021] Although the terms including an ordinal number such as
first, second, and so forth, can be used for describing various
elements, the structural elements are not restricted by the terms.
The terms are only used to distinguish one element from another
element. For example, without departing from the scope of the
present disclosure, a first structural element may be named a
second structural element. Similarly, the second structural element
also may be named the first structural element. As used herein, the
term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more
associated items.
[0022] The relative terms, such as a front surface, a rear surface,
an upper surface, and a lower surface, which are described with
reference to the drawings may be replaced by ordinal numbers such
as first and second. In the ordinal numbers such as first and
second, their order are determined in the mentioned order or
arbitrarily and may not be arbitrarily changed if necessary.
[0023] The terms used in this application merely are for the
purpose of describing particular embodiments and are not intended
to limit the present disclosure. Singular forms are intended to
include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates
otherwise. In the description, it should be understood that the
terms "include" or "have" indicate existence of a feature, a
number, a step, an operation, a structural element, parts, or a
combination thereof, and do not previously exclude the existences
or probability of addition of one or more another features,
numeral, steps, operations, structural elements, parts, or
combinations thereof.
[0024] Unless defined differently, all terms used herein, which
include technical terminologies or scientific terminologies, have
the same meaning as that understood by a person skilled in the art
to which the present disclosure belongs. Such terms as those
defined in a generally used dictionary are to be interpreted to
have the meanings equal to the contextual meanings in the relevant
field of art, and are not to be interpreted to have ideal or
excessively formal meanings unless clearly defined in the present
specification.
[0025] In the present disclosure, an electronic device can be a
random device, and the electronic device can be called a terminal,
a portable terminal, a mobile terminal, a communication terminal, a
portable communication terminal, a portable mobile terminal, a
display device or the like.
[0026] For example, the electronic device can be a smartphone, a
portable phone, a game player, a TV, a display unit, a heads-up
display unit for a vehicle, a notebook computer, a laptop computer,
a tablet Personal Computer (PC), a Personal Media Player (PMP), a
Personal Digital Assistants (PDA), and the like. The electronic
device can be implemented as a portable communication terminal
which has a wireless communication function and a pocket size.
Further, the electronic device can be a flexible device or a
flexible display unit.
[0027] The electronic device can communicate with an external
electronic device, such as a server or the like, or perform an
operation through an interworking with the external electronic
device. For example, the electronic device can transmit an image
photographed by a camera and/or position information detected by a
sensor unit to the server through a network. The network can be a
mobile or cellular communication network, a Local Area Network
(LAN), a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), a Wide Area Network
(WAN), an Internet, a Small Area Network (SAN) or the like, but is
not limited thereto.
[0028] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure,
an electronic device includes: a housing having a sound emission
hole formed in at least one side thereof; a speaker module which is
at least partially accommodated in the housing; and a sound
reflection surface formed inside the housing and obliquely facing
the speaker module. A sound emitted from the speaker module is
reflected by the sound reflection surface to the sound emission
hole.
[0029] In an embodiment, the electronic device further includes: a
first enclosure mounted to face a first surface of the speaker
module; a resonance space enclosed by an inner surface of the first
enclosure and the speaker module; and a sound passage formed in the
first enclosure and connected from the resonance space to the sound
emission hole.
[0030] In the electronic device as described above, the sound
reflection surface can be formed on the inner surface of the first
enclosure.
[0031] In another embodiment, the electronic device as described
above further includes a mesh attached to an end of the sound
passage on an outer surface of the first enclosure.
[0032] In a still another embodiment, the electronic device as
described above further includes: an opening formed through the
housing; and a second enclosure mounted to face a second surface of
the speaker module. The first enclosure can be mounted on the inner
surface of the housing to face the opening and the speaker module
is disposed in the opening between the first and second
enclosures.
[0033] In a still another embodiment, the second enclosure includes
a metal plate that faces the speaker module.
[0034] The electronic device as described above can further
include: a circuit board mounted to face the second surface of the
speaker module inside the housing; and a sealing member interposed
between the first enclosure and the circuit board. The sealing
member can be disposed around the speaker module.
[0035] In another embodiment, the first enclosure is formed to be
integrated with the housing.
[0036] In a yet another embodiment, the electronic device as
described above further includes: an enclosure case that defines a
resonance space that surrounds a circumference of the speaker
module which is seated on an inner surface of the enclosure case.
The sound reflection surface can be formed on the inner surface of
the enclosure case.
[0037] In a yet another embodiment, the enclosure case includes a
lower enclosure case part on which the speaker module is seated,
and an upper enclosure case part coupled to face the lower
enclosure case part, and the sound reflection surface can be formed
on an inner surface of the upper enclosure case part.
[0038] In the electronic device as described above, the sound
reflection surface can be formed around the resonance space, except
in a direction where the sound emission hole is formed inside the
resonance space.
[0039] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an
electronic device according to embodiments of the present
disclosure.
[0040] The electronic device 200 can include a side acoustic
emission type speaker device 101 accommodated in housings 111 and
115. In the example show in FIG. 1, reference numerals "111" and
"115" indicate the housings. However, in another embodiment, the
constituent elements indicated by reference numerals "111" and
"115" can be other structures disposed on a circuit board or within
the housings. For example, the constituent element indicated by
reference numeral "113" can be constituted by a battery pack or an
integrated circuit (IC) chip, and "other structures disposed within
the housings" can include a diaphragm structure which separates the
speaker device 101 and the IC chip.
[0041] The side acoustic emission type speaker device 100 can
include: a speaker module provided with a magnetic circuit and a
vibration body to generate a sound, for example, a micro-speaker
101; an enclosure case 102 which encloses at least a part of the
micro-speaker 101 that is seated on an inner surface of the
enclosure case 102; a sound emission hole 129 formed on a lateral
side of the enclosure case 102; and a sound reflection surface 131
positioned on an upper inner surface of the enclosure case 102. The
sound reflection surface 131 can reflect the sound generated from
the micro-speaker 101 to the sound emission hole 129 side. The
enclosure case 102 can surround the circumference of the
micro-speaker 101 and form a resonance space 121 at least on a
first surface of the micro-speaker 101. The sound reflection
surface 131 can be formed by a shape of the enclosure case 102
itself. According to an embodiment, the sound reflection surface
131 is formed by attaching a reflection member 103 to the upper
inner surface of the enclosure case 102.
[0042] The micro-speaker 101 provided in the speaker device 100 can
include a magnetic circuit including a yoke and a magnet within a
frame, a voice coil positioned in an air gap of the magnetic
circuit, a side vibration plate and a center vibration plate which
are vibrated by the voice coil, a suspension that guides movements
of the voice coil and the vibration plates, and a terminal pad that
receives an electric circuit from an outside such that the electric
signal can be transmitted to the voice coil through the suspension.
For example, the micro-speaker 101 can be implemented similarly to
a conventional micro-speaker.
[0043] The enclosure case 102 can include a lower enclosure case
part 102a and an upper enclosure case part 102b. The micro-speaker
101 can be seated on an inner surface of the lower enclosure case
part 102a, and the upper enclosure case part 102b can be coupled
with the lower enclosure case part 102a while pressing a top
surface of the micro-speaker 101. The sound emission hole 129 that
emits the sound to the outside can be formed on a lateral side of
the enclosure case 102. A part of the sound emission hole 129 can
be formed in the lower enclosure case part 102a and the remaining
part can be formed in the upper enclosure case part 102b. The sound
emission hole 129 can be connected with the resonance space 121
through a sound passage 125 formed by coupling the lower enclosure
case part 102a and the upper enclosure case part 102b. A mesh 125
can be installed in the sound emission hole 129 or the sound
passage 123 between the lower and upper enclosure case parts 102a
and 102b so as to prevent foreign matter from flowing into the
inside of the enclosure case 102 through the sound emission hole
129. The present embodiment exemplifies a structure in which the
mesh 125 is installed in the sound emission hole 129.
[0044] The sound reflection surface 131 can be formed on the inner
surface of the upper enclosure case part 102b so as to reflect the
sound emitted from the micro-speaker 101 toward the sound emission
hole 129. The sound reflection surface 131 can be fabricated as a
separate member using a plastic injection-molded product or a metal
material and attached to the inner surface of the upper enclosure
case part 102b. Alternatively, the sound reflection surface 131 can
be formed integrally with the upper enclosure case part 102b by
designing an injection mold such that the sound reflection surface
131 can be formed when the upper enclosure case part 102b is
injection-molded.
[0045] The sound reflection surface 131 can be formed, for example,
around the resonance space 121, except the side where the sound
emission hole 129 is formed, such as over remaining three sides on
the inner surface of the upper enclosure case part 102b. Such a
structure will be discussed below with reference to, for example,
FIG. 2. When the sound reflection surface 131 is formed over three
sides on the inner surface of the upper enclosure case part 102b, a
wider area capable of reflecting the sound emitted from the
micro-speaker 101 can be obtained.
[0046] In forming the sound reflection surface 131 as described
above, the ratio of an area occupied by the upper enclosure case
part 102b in the inner surface can be variously changed. In
addition, the sound reflection surface 131 can be implemented as a
surface inclined to a sound emission direction of the micro-speaker
101 or a curved surface in consideration of a distribution of sound
pressure emitted from the micro-speaker 101 or a position or a size
of the sound emission hole 129.
[0047] In describing the various embodiments of the present
disclosure below, components that can be easily understood through
the foregoing embodiment will be assigned the same reference
numerals of the drawings or omitted and the detailed descriptions
thereof can also be omitted.
[0048] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a state
where a side acoustic emission type speaker device is installed in
an electronic device according to embodiments of the present
disclosure. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state
in which a side acoustic emission type speaker device is installed
in an electronic device according to embodiments of the present
disclosure.
[0049] In the foregoing embodiment, descriptions have been made on
the configuration of the side acoustic emission type speaker device
in which a speaker module is provided inside the enclosure case
constituted with the lower and upper enclosure case parts.
According to the various embodiments of the present disclosure, in
providing the above-described side acoustic emission type speaker
device in an actual electronic device, a structure of the
electronic device itself such as a part of a housing or the like
can form the enclosure case of the side acoustic emission type
speaker device.
[0050] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, an electronic device 200 can
include housings 201a and 201b, a speaker module accommodated in
the housings 201a and 201b, for example, the micro-speaker 101 as
described above, a sound emission hole 229a or 229b formed on at
one side of at least one the housings 201a and 201b, and a sound
reflection surface 231 formed inside the housings 201a and 201b. A
sound emitted from the micro-speaker 101 is reflected by the sound
reflection surface 231 to the sound emission holes 229a and 229b to
be output to the outside of the housings 201a and 201b.
[0051] The housings 201a and 201b can be configured by coupling the
rear case 201a and the front case 201b, and an opening 211 is
formed in the rear case 201a to accommodate at least a part of the
micro-speaker 101. For example, the micro-speaker 101 can be
disposed in a state where the side surfaces thereof are surrounded
by the inner walls of the opening 211. The sound emission holes
229a and 229b can be formed on the sides of the housings 201a and
201b, respectively, to be adjacent to the opening 211. In the
embodiment, the front case 201b is coupled to enclose at least a
part of the side surfaces of the rear case 201a, and the sound
emission holes 229a and 229b is completed when a first sound
emission hole 229a formed in a side of the rear case 201a and a
second sound emission hole 229b formed in a side of the front case
201b are aligned to each other.
[0052] In the housings 201a and 201b, a first enclosure 202a can be
further disposed in which the first enclosure 202a is coupled to
face an inner surface, for example, the inner surface of the rear
case 201a. The first enclosure 202a can include a metal plate 223a,
and an injection-molded product 221a formed around a metal plate
223a. The first enclosure 202a is coupled to face a first surface
of the micro-speaker 101 such that a resonance space 221 enclosed
by the first surface of the micro-speaker 101 and the inner surface
of the first enclosure 202a can be formed. In the present
embodiment, it is exemplified that the first enclosure 202a is
configured by assembling the housings 201a and 201b. However, the
housings 201a and 201b can be formed in a form of a single body.
The first enclosure 202a can include a sound passage 123 that
connects the resonance space 221 to the sound emission holes 229a
and 229b. A mesh 125 can be attached to an end of the sound passage
123 on the outer surface of the first enclosure 202a so as to
prevent foreign matter from flowing into the inside of the first
enclosure 202a.
[0053] The sound reflection surface 231 can be formed inside of the
housings 201a and 201b, for example, on the inner surface of the
first enclosure 202a. In the side acoustic emission type speaker
device, the direction of emitting the sound from the micro-speaker
can be orthogonal to the extension direction of the sound passage.
The higher the frequency band of a sound, the higher the straight
advancing property of the sound. Thus, in the side acoustic
emission type speaker device, a damping phenomenon can be increased
in a relatively high frequency voice range as compared to a low
frequency voice range. According to certain embodiments, the
electronic device 200 suppresses or alleviates the damping
phenomenon that can occur in the high frequency voice range by
forming the sound reflection surface 231 to be inclined in relation
to the sound emission direction of the micro-speaker 101 so as to
reflect the sound toward the sound emission holes 229a and
229b.
[0054] The sound reflection surface 231 can be formed by attaching
a separate reflection member inside the first enclosure 202a, or by
the shape of the first enclosure 202a itself. In an embodiment,
when the first enclosure 202a partially includes a metal plate, the
sound reflection surface 231 is formed by bending a part of the
metal plate. FIG. 3 illustrates a configuration in which the sound
reflection surface 231 is formed on the inner surface of the first
enclosure 202a by the shape of the injection-molded product 221a
itself. As described above, the sound reflection surface 231 can be
formed along the circumference of the resonance space 121, except
in the direction where the sound emission holes 229a and 229b are
formed, such as over remaining three surfaces on the inner surface
of the first enclosure 202a. When the sound reflection surface 231
is formed over three sides on the inner surface of the first
enclosure 202a, an area that reflects the sound emitted from the
micro-speaker 101 can be obtained more widely.
[0055] The electronic device 200 can further include a second
enclosure 202b coupled to the outer surfaces of the housings 201a
and 201b, for example, the outer surface of the rear case 201a. The
second enclosure 202b can be disposed to face the second surface of
the micro-speaker 101 where the opening 211 is positioned. The
second enclosure 202b can include a metal plate 223b positioned on
a portion facing the micro-speaker 101 and an injection-molded
product 221b formed around the metal plate 223b. As a result, the
micro-speaker 101 can be accommodated in the enclosure case
constituted with the first enclosure 202a, the rear case 201a, and
the second enclosure 202b, and can output a sound through the sound
emission holes 229a and 229b formed in the sides of the housing
201a and 201b. The sound emitted from the micro-speaker 101 can be
reflected by the sound reflection surface 231 to the sound emission
holes 229a and 229b.
[0056] In certain embodiments, in configuring the enclosure case
that encloses the micro-speaker 101, a sealing structure is
provided between every two of the first enclosure 202a, the rear
case 201a and the second enclosure 202b so as to prevent sound
pressure from leaking out. Such a sealing structure can be
implemented through a bonding structure such as ultrasonic welding
or adhesion, or by disposing a sealing member such as silicon or
rubber.
[0057] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating
another example in which a side acoustic emission type speaker
device is installed in an electronic device according to
embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0058] The electronic device 300 is different from the foregoing
embodiments in that another constituent element disposed inside the
housing 301, for example, a circuit board 311, constitutes a part
of the enclosure case of the micro-speaker 101. For example, in the
electronic device 300 of the present embodiment, the circuit board
311 can replace the second enclosure 202b of the foregoing
embodiment.
[0059] The micro-speaker 101 can be disposed inside the housing 301
in a state in which it is enclosed by a first enclosure 302. A
resonance space 121 can be formed by a first surface of the
micro-speaker 101 and an inner surface of the first enclosure 302,
and a sound emitted from the micro-speaker 101 can be output
through a sound passage 123. The first enclosure 302 can be
disposed to face the inner surface of the housing 301, and various
circuit devices 313 such as an IC chip, or a battery pack can be
disposed on the circuit board 311. The first enclosure 302 can
separate the circuit devices 313 and the micro-speaker 101.
[0060] The circuit board 311 can be coupled to face a second
surface of the micro-speaker 101, and a sealing member 315 can be
disposed between the first enclosure 302 and the circuit board 311.
The enclosure case of the micro-speaker 101 can be configured by
the first enclosure 302, the circuit board 311, and the sealing
member 315. The sealing member 315 can be made of a resilient
material such as silicon or rubber, and can enclose the
circumference of the micro-speaker 101. As described above, a
radiation member 103 can be attached inside the first enclosure 302
so as to provide a sound reflection surface 131. In another
embodiment, the sound reflection surface 131 can be implemented by
the shape of the first enclosure 302 itself.
[0061] Although the present embodiment exemplifies a configuration
in which the first enclosure 302 faces the inner surface of the
housing 301 and the circuit board 311 faces the second surface of
the micro-speaker 101, the arrangement can be reversed. For
example, the first enclosure 302 can be installed to face the
circuit board 311 and the inner surface of the housing 301 can be
installed to face the second surface of the micro-speaker 101.
[0062] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating
another example in which a side acoustic emission type speaker
device is installed in an electronic device according to
embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0063] An electronic device 400 shown in FIG. 5 is different from
the foregoing embodiments in that the first enclosure 302 of the
foregoing embodiments is a structure that is integrally implemented
in some of constituent elements of the electronic device 400 such
as the housing 301.
[0064] A diaphragm structure 317 that encloses the micro-speaker
101 can be formed on the inner surface of the housing 301. For
example, the first enclosure 302 of the foregoing embodiments is
implemented by the diaphragm structure 317 formed in the housing
301 in the present embodiment. The resonance space 121 can be
formed by the inner surface of the diaphragm structure 317 and the
first surface of the micro-speaker 101, and the diaphragm structure
317 can provide a sound passage 123 that connects the resonance
space 121 to the outside of the housing 301. A mesh 125 can be
attached to an end of the sound passage 123 on one side of the
housing 301 so as to prevent foreign matter from flowing into the
resonance space 121.
[0065] The circuit board 311 (or another part of the housing) can
be coupled to the second surface of the micro-speaker 101 so as to
complete the enclosure case of the micro-speaker 101. A sealing
member 315 can be disposed between the diaphragm structure 317 and
the circuit board 311 (or another part of the housing) so as to
prevent unnecessary leakage of sound pressure. The sealing member
315 can be made of a resilient material such as silicon or rubber
and can enclose the circumference of the micro-speaker 101.
[0066] Although the present embodiment exemplifies a configuration
in which the diaphragm structure 317 that encloses the
micro-speaker 101 is formed in the housing 301, the diaphragm
structure 317 can be formed on another constituent element, for
example, the circuit board 311 or a bracket that supports the
circuit board 311, and the housing 301 can be coupled to face the
second surface of the micro-speaker 101. Such a structural
arrangement can be variously implemented in consideration of
manufacturing easiness, structural stability or the like.
[0067] In addition, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the sound
reflection surface 131 or 131' can be variously implemented
depending on the size and shape of the reflection member 103 or
103'. For example, the reflection member 103 can provide a sound
reflection surface 131 in a form of an inclined surface directed
toward the sound passage 123, as illustrated in FIG. 4.
Alternatively, the reflection member 103' can provide a sound
reflection surface 131' around the resonance space 121, as
illustrated in FIG. 5.
[0068] FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating sound characteristics
measured for a side acoustic emission type speaker according to
embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0069] Referring to FIG. 6, it can be seen that when the side
acoustic emission type speaker device includes a sound reflection
surface according to the various embodiments of the present
disclosure, in a frequency voice range around 1 kHz, the side
acoustic emission type speaker device exhibits a sound pressure
similar to that of a conventional side acoustic emission type
speaker device, and in a relatively higher frequency range, for
example, a frequency range around 6 kHz, a pressure improved by
about 2 dB to 3 dB can be obtained. Such measurement results are
merely examples, and a frequency voice range that improves the
sound pressure can be variously exhibited according to embodiments.
For example, sound characteristics different from that illustrated
in FIG. 6 can be exhibited depending on the performance of the
speaker module, the shape and size of the enclosure case, and the
arranged shape and size of the sound reflection surface in an
actually fabricated side acoustic emission type speaker device.
Although some embodiments can exhibit somewhat different sound
characteristics, the side acoustic emission type speaker device
including the sound reflection surface according to the various
embodiments of the present disclosure can improve the sound
pressure in a relatively high frequency bandwidth (for example, a
voice range around 6 kHz) where a secondary resonance phenomenon
occurs as compared to a frequency voice range band (for example, a
voice range around 1 kHz) where a primary resonance phenomenon
occurs.
[0070] For example, the sound passage of the electronic device
according to the various embodiments of the present disclosure can
be formed in any one of the lower enclosure case part and the upper
enclosure case part, or formed by coupling the lower enclosure case
part and the upper enclosure case part.
[0071] The sound reflection surface of the electronic device
according to the various embodiments of the present disclosure can
be formed as an inclined surface or a curved surface that reflects
the sound emitted from the micro-speaker to the sound emission
holes. The size of the region where the sound reflection surface is
formed inside the enclosure case or the shape of the sound
reflection surface can be variously set according to required
specifications of a side acoustic emission type speaker device or
an electronic device to be manufactured.
[0072] Although the present disclosure has been described with an
exemplary embodiment, various changes and modifications may be
suggested to one skilled in the art. It is intended that the
present disclosure encompass such changes and modifications as fall
within the scope of the appended claims.
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